# Accident 19980926037629A: Bell OH13HTEXHELI, Gilroy, CA, September 26, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 26, 1998, 11:00 local time - Place: Gilroy, CA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: To Running(Helicopter/Vtol Ac) - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Location: 37.0603° N, 121.5503° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0603&lon=-121.5503&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1001G, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1001G-2016-07-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Texas Helicopter OH-13H/M74A (registry code 8930105, https://openairdocs.org/model/texas-helicopter-oh-13h-m74a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming VO-435 series (registry code 41525, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-vo-435-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL OH13HTEXHELI - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA309](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA309) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980926037629A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON SEPTEMBER 26, 1998, AT 1100 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A TEXAS HELICOPTER CORPORATION OH-13H, N1001G, CRASHED IN A FIELD NEAR GILROY, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR 137 AS AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, AND ORIGINATED AT THE HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT, ABOUT 0700. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD FINISHED SPRAYING THE FIELD AND WAS HEADED BACK TO THE AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AGL, WHEN HE FELT A STRONG VIBRATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HELICOPTER. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP AND GAINED ABOUT 50 TO 75 FEET OF ALTITUDE AND BEGAN TO TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE, INPUT FULL LEFT CYCLIC, AND LEVELED THE HELICOPTER. HE STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS THEN FLYING APPROXIAMTELY 90 DEGREES TO THE ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF FLIGHT, AND, ABOUT 15 FEET AGL, HE LOST CONTROL AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A 30 TO 45 DEGREE LEFT ROLL ATTITUDE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING FOR ABOUT 5 TO 10 SECONDS AFTER IMPACT, THEN QUIT ON ITS OWN. HE REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY MALFUNCTION WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE OPERATOR DID NO REPORT THE ACCIDENT UNTIL SEPTEMBER 28, 1998. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM A LOADING AREA ON A DIRT ROAD NEAR A FARM TO GO BACK TO THE AIRPORT. AT APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS FROM THE DEPATURE POINT AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE BELL WASP OH13H/M74A, N1001G, THAT HE WAS OPERATING PERFORMED AN UNCOMMANDED VIOLENT PITCH UP ALTITUDE MANEUVER. HE STATED, HE IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE WHILE EXPERIENCING EXTREME VIBRATION BEFORE HE LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED IN A FARM FIELD ON SEPTEMBER 26, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME. THE PILOT ESCAPED UNINJURED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX98LA309](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA309), Sep 26, 1998: Texas Helicopter OH-13H (N1001G), Gilroy, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of control for undetermined reasons. ## Other reports on N1001G (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19830608023499A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830608023499A), Jun 8, 1983: Bell OH13M74TEXH (N1001G), Ruleville, MS, Substantial damage. Engine quit on a spray run. Chopped off tail boom landing on a rice levy. Magneto drive gear disengaged. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.